ECB investigates Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson over nightclub incident

Governing body looking into ‘a breach of team protocols’

Players could be forced to miss second New Zealand Test

The England & Wales Cricket Board has launched an investigation into “a breach of team protocols” after Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were involved in an unspecified incident in a London nightclub in the early hours of Monday.

The incident occurred in the hours after the first Test against New Zealand concluded at Lord’s, with England sealing a convincing win on the fourth day. “I’m obviously very, very happy that we’ve won this week,” Stokes said immediately after the game ended, “but I probably won’t be real happy and smiling until I get up there and share a proper beer with the boys.”